Sewing machine



July 26, 1938; N. v. CHRISTENSEN ET AL 2,125,044

SEWING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY A I gg /l I V I, A TORYS N m S g WITNESSES N INVENTORS:

July 26, 1938.

N. v. CHRISTENSEN ET'AL SEWING MACHINE Filed Apri 7, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TORS:

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) SEWING MACHINE Filed April 7. 1956 5 Sheets- Sheet 4 TTORN E YS.

u y 1933- N. v. CHRISTENSEN ET'AL 2,125,044

I SEWING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1936 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 FIG; 1% I I NVEN TORS:

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- TORNEYS.

WITNESSE I Q 3 MrmanVl/uisimsm fiazzsifuklandzr go 5 I Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE of Illinois Application April '7, 1936, Serial No. 73,064

6 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines; and it has reference more particularly to what are known as feed-oif-the-arm machines such as featured in U. S. Patent No. 1,741,095 granted on December 24, 1929 to Norman V. Christensen and Harold J. Le Vesconte, two of the present applicants.

In machines of the type specifically referred to, it has been the general practice heretofore to employ rockers and links in interposition between the reciprocating needle bars and cranks on actuating shafts therefor. These parts were relatively heavy, and due to their momentum and attendant vibration while in action, imposed a speed limit beyond which the machines could not be safely. operated. Another drawback inherent to pre-existent feed-oif-the-arm sewing machines was that when they were arranged with their main shafts at right angles to supporting sewing tables, it was necessary, as instanced for example in Fig. II of another Christensen Patent, No. 1,792,361, dated February 10, 1931, to twist the drive belts connecting the pulleys of the machines with power pulleys on shafts extending longitudinally of the tables, and to employ supplementing idler guide pulleys in connection with the belts. Still another drawback characteristic of ordinary feed-off-the-arm sewing machines was that their hand wheels were mounted on the ends of the drive shafts remote from the operators where they were altogether inconvenient of access.

Our invention is directed toward overcoming the several drawbacks which have been pointed out above, the first mentioned of which we obviate, as hereinafter more fully explained, through provision of simplified needle actuating mechanism composed of a few light, yet amply strong parts, and which permits utilization of rotary motion to a maximum extent before conversion into reciprocatory motion of the needle bar. The others of the indicated drawbacks we overcome, likewise as hereinafter more fully explained through structural improvements whereby the machines can be converted for use in either of the two positions relative to the sewing table without necessitating twisting of the drive belts or the employment of idler pulleys as heretofore; and whereby the hand wheels are made convenient of access to the operators irrespective of the alternative positioning of the machines.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a plan view of a feedoff the-arm sewing machine conveniently embodying our invention, a portion of the base of the machine having been broken away and its top cover plate removed to expose important details which would otherwise be hidden.

Fig. II is a view of the machine partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section.

Fig. III is a transverse section of the machine taken as indicated by the arrows III--III in Figs. I and II.

Fig. IV is a fragmentary view of the machine looking as indicated by the arrows IV-IV in Figs. I and II.

Fig. V is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. I showing a rearrangement of the drive mechanism of the machine.

Figs. VI and VII are plan views showing the machine placed in two different positions relative to a sewing table.

As delineated in Figs. I-IV, our improved sewing machine comprises a frame I with a bracketlike base 2 (see Fig. III) which supports an integrally formed coextensive hollow tubular portion 3 at an elevation. At one end, this tubular portion of the frame I is formed with a laterally projecting neck 4 which terminates in a hollow head 5, and at the other end, with a pendant hollow projection 1 whereto is secured, by means of screws 8 (Fig. II) a hollow work supporting arm 9. From Figs. I and II, it will be observed that the work supporting arm 9 extends outwardly at an acute angle from the region of its attachment to the frame I, with its free end underreaching the head 5. Confined to vertical reciprocation in upper and lower bearing bushings l0 and II set into the head 5 is a cylindric needle bar l2, which, in this instance, carries a pair of needles l3 at its lower end. Secured to the needle bar l2 within the hollow of the head 5 is a collar l5 with a lateral stud projection it, see Fig. III, whereof the end is flattened as at I! and engages between a pair of fixed vertical guide plates l8. By virtue of this arrangement, it will be apparent that the needle-bar I2 is prevented from rotating in its guide bushings l0 and II.

The. needle bar derives-its movements from a transverse actuating shaft 19 which extends axially through the neck 4 and through an aligned rearwardly projecting hollow boss 20 on the tubular portion 3 of the frame I. As shown in Fig. III, the shaft [9 is journaled in spaced bushings 2], 22 respectively set into the neck 4 and into the boss 20; and at its outer end, said shaft carriesa pulley 23. Secured to the pulley 23 by means of a screw 24, is a hand wheel 25 which is fashioned to hollow cupelike configuration from sheet metal and formed with a centering hole 23 which engages the outer end of the shaft. To the inner end of the transverse shaft i9 is fastened a crank head 21 whereof the wrist pin 28 is connected, by means of a pitman 29, with the stud projection E3 of the collar E5 on the needle bar [2, said crank head being weighted as at 33 in Fig. II to counterbalance the weight of the pitman. The parts just described are all made as light as possible consistent with the strength required, and by virtue of this fact and the substitution of balanced rotary elements for the comparatively heavy rocker arms and links heretofore employed in the needle actuating mechanisms of feed-off-the-arm machines, vibration in our improved needle actuating mechanism is reduced to a minimum and therefore favors operation of the machine at higher speeds than were practicable heretofore. Thetransverse shaft I9 is lubricated by oil introduced from above through vertical holes 31, 32 in the frame I into small reservoirs 33, 34 in the bushings, thelubricant gravitating from these reservoirs to said shaft by way of the ports shown at and 36. Any leakage of lubricant outward past. the bushing 22 is caught by a guard fin 31 at the inner face of the pulley 23 and by the latter thrown into an annular trough 38 for conduction inwardly into the hollow of the boss 20 by way of a longitudinal duct 39 in the bottom of said bushing.

As usual, the machine is fitted with a presser foot which is indicated at 40 in Fig. II and shown as secured to the bottom end of a cylindric presser bar 4!, said presser bar entering the head 5 from beneath through a guide bushing 52 and receiving further guidance adjacent its upper end in a bushing 43 set into a lug i i witlun the hollow of the head. The presser bar 4! is yieldingly urged downward by a flat leaf spring 45 whereof the free end bears upon the rounded upper end of said presser bar. Theanchorage end of the spring 45 is pierced to engage a stud 46 upstanding from a projection 47 at the top of the boss 20, and its pressure is regulatable by means of a thumb nut 48 at the lower threaded end of a hooked rod 49 which passes down through the portion 3 of the frame. An arm 50 affixed to the presser bar 4| adjacent the upper end of the latter passes outward through a vertical slot 5! in the front wall of the head 5, see Figs. II and IV and engages between a pair of fixed guide plates 52, the presser bar being thus held against rotation in the same manner as the needle bar. A finger latch 53 is provided to hold the presser bar A! in elevated position when desired or required, said finger beingfulcrumed at 54 in the head 5 and formed with a cam portion 55 adapted to engage the under-side of the guide arm 50. In order that the presser foot All may be lifted during the operation of the machine to enable starting of the work beneath it, there is further provided a treadle operated lever 55 which is secured to a shaft 5i journaled in bearing lugs 58, 59 at the top ofthe machine frame. Within the head 5 the shaft 51 carries a finger 65 which is adapted to engage the arm 50 on the presser bar 4! from beneath at that side thereof which is opposite the latch finger 53. All the parts within the head 5 are accessible through a frontal opening 6| which is normally covered by a removable plate 62 attached by a thumb screw '63.

J ournaled in bushings 65, 66, 31 set into spaced cross webs 3B, 69 and 13 within the horizontal tubular portion 3 of the machine frame is a longitudinal shaft ll whereon are mounted eocentrics I2, 13 and 14, which, through strap rods i5, i5, 11 extending down through the hollow pendant projection I, serve to actuate, in a well known way, a feed dog and a looper (not illustrated) within the work supporting arm 9 at the free end of the latter." The longitudinal shaft also carries a rotary looper thread take-up which is indicated at l8, and to the forward or left hand end of said shaft is afiixed a bevel pinion 8B which meshes with and is driven by a bevel pinion 8! on the transverse shaft IS. The longitudinal shaft ll is lubricated by oil introduced from above through vertical holes 82, 83, 84 in the cross webs '68, 69, '55, said holes communicating with small reservoirs formed in the bushings 55, 63 and 81. The opening 85 at the top of the longitudinal tubular portion 3 of the frame I is normally closed by a removable cover plate indicated at 86 in Fig. III. Supported by the machine frame immediately to the rear of the hori- Zontal tubular portion 3 is a bar 81 whereon is mounted a series'of tensions 88, 89, 90, 9| for the needle and looper threads.

For a purpose presently explained, the frame I of the machine is provided at the left hand end of its tubular portion 3 with an axially bored bearing boss 92 which, when the machine is arranged as in Figs. I-III, is closed by a cover plate 93.

Fig. V shows an arrangement of the machine wherein the transverse shaft is formed in two sections 19a, Nb and wherein the longitudinal shaft Ha is extended outwardly through the bearing boss 92 to enable attachment thereto of a pulley 35 which is intended to be used instead of the pulley 23 on the transverse shaft section I91). Accordingly, the hand wheel 25 has been reversed in this instance so as to envelop the pulley 23 as shown. In the changed arrangement, the two transverse shaft sections I9a and lab are driven in unison through miter pinions Bla and 96 respectively, which mesh with a miter pinion 80a on the longitudinal shaft Ha. As arranged in Figs. I and III, the machine is adapted to be positioned as shown in Fig. VI with reference to a supporting table T, i. e., with the tubular portion 3 of its frame I (and the longitudinal shaft 'il) extending at right angles to said table. With the machine so positioned, the pulley 23 on the transverse shaft is directly aligned with a drive pulley P on a power shaft S extending lengthwise of said table, so that twisting of the connecting belt B is unnecessary and the use of a supplemental guide idler pulley as heretofore consequently dispensed with. A furtheradvantage resulting from our invention is that the hand wheel 25 is conveniently accessible to the right hand of an operator seated in line with the work supporting arm 9 of the machine and guiding the work to be sewn forward along said arm as indicated by the arrow thereon toward the table T.

As arranged in Fig. V, the machine is adapted to'be positioned after the manner shown in Fig. VII, 1. e. with the tubular portion 3 of its frame (and the longitudinal shaft lla) extending parallel with the sewing table T and with'the pulley 95 in a direct line with the drive pulley P on the power shaft S extending lengthwise of said table. Here again, twisting of the belt B is avoided and the necessity of an idler guide pulley obviated. Here too, the hand wheel 25 is conveniently accessible to the right hand of an operator seated to the right of the machine in line with, thework supporting arm and guiding the arrow.

If desired, our improved machine may be marketed in the form illustrated in Fig'V, and the shaft H provided with a convertible belt and hand wheel like that shown at'2 3, 25, instead of the pulley 95, so thateither theshaft H a or the transverse shaft Hla, I91) may be employed to drive the machine in meeting conditions described in connection with Figs. VI and VII, with the idle pulley serving as a hand wheel.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a feed-off-the-arm sewing machine, a hollow frame with a longitudinal portion having a lengthwise shaft-bearing within it and an aligned shaft-bearingopen to the exterior at the front end thereof, another shaft-bearing projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end and open to the exterior, a hollow needle head projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end at the opposite side and having a bearing therein axially aligned with said laterally-projecting bearing, and a forwardly extending horizontal work-supporting arm connected to the rear end of said longitudinal frame portion and underreaching the needle head.

2. In a feed-off-the-arm sewing machine, a hollow frame with a longitudinal portion having a lengthwise shaft hearing within it and an aligned shaft-bearing open to the exterior at the front end thereof, another shaft-bearing in the same horizontal plane with the two bearings aforesaid projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end and open to the exterior, a hollow needle head projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end at the opposite side and having a bearing therein axially aligned with said laterally-projecting bearing, and a forwardly extending horizontal work-supporting arm connected to the rear end of said the material outward of said arm-as indicated by longitudinal frame portion and underreaching,

the needle head.

3. In a feed-off-the-arm sewing machine, a hollow frame with a longitudinal portion having a lengthwise shaft bearing within it and an aligned shaft-bearing open to the exterior at the front end thereof, another shaft-bearing in the same horizontal plane with the two bearings aforesaid projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end and open to the exterior, a hollow needle head projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end at the opposite side and having a bearing therein, axially aligned with said laterally-projecting bearing, and a closed housing at the juncture of the longitudinal frame portion,'the laterally projecting shaft-bearing, and the laterally projecting needle head, a forwardly extending horizontal work-supporting arm connected to the rear end of said longitudinal frame portion and underreaching the needle head.

4. In a feed-off-the-arm sewing machine, a

hollow frame with a longitudinal portion having portingarm connected to the rear end of said longitudinal frame portion and: underreaching the needle head; a main shaft journaled in the bearing within the longitudinal frame portion and projecting through the bearing at the front end of said frame portion; a wheel on the projecting end of saidshaft; a transverse shaft with aligned sections journaled respectively in the laterally projecting bearing and in the needle head, the first mentioned transverse shaft section extending out through the lateral hearing; a Wheel secured to the projecting end of said first mentioned transverse shaft sections;

gearing connectingv the main shaft and the two transverse shaft sections within the hollow of the longitudinal frame portion; a needle bar guided for up and down movement in the head; and actuating connections between the needle bar and one of the transverse shaft sections.

5. In a feed-off-the-arm sewing machine, a hollow frame with a longitudinal portion having a lengthwise shaft-bearing within it and an aligned shaft-bearing open to the exterior at the front end thereof, another shaft-bearing in the same horizontal plane with the two bearings aforesaid projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end, a hollow needle head projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end at the opposite side and having a hearing therein axially aligned with said laterally-projecting bearing, and a forwardly extending work-supporting arm connected to the rear end of said longitudinal frame portion and underreachingthe needle head; a main shaft journaled in the bearing within the longitudinal frame portion and projecting through the bearing at the front end of said frame portion; a wheel on the projecting end of said shaft; a transverse shaft with aligned sections journaled respectively in the laterally projecting bearing and in the needle head, the first mentioned transverse shaft section extending out through the lateral bearing; a wheel secured to the projecting end of said first mentioned transverse shaft sections; gearing connecting the main shaft and the two transverse shaft sections within the hollow of the longitudinal frame portion; a needle bar guided for up and down movement in the head; and actuating connections between the needle bar and one of the transverse shaft sections.

6. In a feed-off-the-arm sewing machine, a hollow frame with a longitudinal portion having a lengthwise shaft-bearing within it and an aligned shaft-bearing open to the exterior at the front end thereof, another shaft-bearing in the same horizontal plane with the two bearings aforesaid projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end, a hollow needle head projecting laterally at right angles from said longitudinal frame portion at said end at the opposite side and having a bearing therein axially aligned with said laterally-projecting bearing, a closed housing at the juncture of the longitudinal frame portion, the laterally projecting shaft-bearing, and the laterally projecting needle head, and a forwardly extending work-supporting arm connected to the rear end of said longitudinal frame portion and underreaching the needle head; a main shaft journaled in the bearing within the longitudinal frame portion and projecting through the hearing at the front end of said frame portion; a wheel on the projecting end of said shaft; a transverse shaft with aligned sections journaled respectively in the laterally projecting bearing and in the needle head, the first mentioned transverse shaft section extending out through the lateral bearing; a wheel secured to the projecting end of said first mentioned transverse shaft sections; gearing connecting the main shaft and the two transverse shaft sections within the closed housing aforesaid; a needle bar guided for up and down movement in the head; and actuating connections between the needle bar and one of the transverse shaft sections.

NORMAN V. CHRISTENSEN.

HANS HACKLANDER.

HAROLD J. LE VESCONTE. 

